ONEONTA POLICE

Oneonta Police Department arrested 3 people on a variety of drug charges. Arrested were 24-Year-old Adam Scully of Oneonta , 22-year-old Ray Arnold of Oneonta for criminal possession of a controlled substance, Police confiscated 11 bags of heroin, also arrested was 25-year-old Cody Clapper of Oneonta, for conspiracy, criminal possession of a controlled substance and possession of a hypodermic instrument. Scully, Arnold and Clapper were arraigned in the City of Oneonta Court and sent to the Otsego County Correctional Facility pending a future court action.

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Governor Cuomo, state leaders & Industry & Tourism leaders held the 2nd Wine, Beer, Spirits and Cider Summit in Albany today. The governor said that their efforts are paying off with an increase in jobs across the entire industry:

(Cuomo 4-8-14)

The Governor said that the 60 million dollars spent in tourism advertising has led to an increase in revenues for the tourism & Agriculture industries by over 4 billion dollars.

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The Catskill Watershed Corporation has extended eligibility guidelines for its Septic Rehabilitation and Replacement Program. Homeowners within the New York City Watershed in Delaware, Greene, Schoharie, Sullivan or Ulster Counties may be eligible for assistance if their property is within 300 feet of a watercourse, and if their homes were built prior to November 2, 1995. The program pays 100% of the cost of replacing failed septic systems for permanent residences; 60% for non-primary residences. Homeowners who may be eligible for this program, should call 845-586-1400 to arrange for a CWC staff visit.

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New York State of Health reported that Over 1.2 million New Yorkers have completed their applications and over 908,000 have enrolled for coverage since the launch of the Marketplace last October 1st. More than 70% of those who have enrolled to date were uninsured at the time of application. New York State of Health will continue to provide additional assistance to individuals who began the application process by March 31. All applications and enrollments must be completed by the end of the day on April 15th.

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On April 3rd Delaware County Deputies participated in Operation Safe Stop to combat the illegal passing of stopped school buses. Deputies shadowed school buses during their morning and afternoon bus routes in the Downsville, Deposit, Delhi, Franklin and Stamford Central School Districts. During the Operation deputies issued 1 traffic summons to an individual that passed a Franklin School District Bus that was stopped with flashing red lights. Statistics show that increased awareness of school bus traffic laws has brought the umber of potentially deadly incidents way down since Operation Safe Stop began.

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The prospects are not good for passage of a medical marijuana bill in the Legislature this year according to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver Silver said there has been “no interest” from the Senate in bringing up the issue for a vote. The Assembly’s Democratic majority included a medical-marijuana plan in its one-house budget resolution, but the issue never gained traction in closed-door budget negotiations. In his State of the State address in January, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said his administration will authorize medical marijuana on a limited basis, allowing up to 20 hospitals statewide to prescribe it to terminally ill patients.

Oneonta Police & State Police responded to a report Friday of 2 subjects fleeing from a stolen vehicle and jumping into the Susquehanna River. Police received a report of a vehicle stolen from the municipal parking garage in Oneonta which matched the description of the vehicle that the subjects had fled from before jumping into the river. Police arrested 22-year-old Ryan Van Allen-Cichielo of Cape Coral, Florida; and 21-year-old Eric Moore of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, they were charged with 4th degree Grand Larceny. Both are Hartwick College students, they were arraigned in the City of Oneonta Court and remanded to the Otsego County Jail to appear at a later date.

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Bassett Medical Center has notified the State Office of Mental Health that due to severe provider shortages, they plan to discontinue inpatient psychiatric services. In the interim, the services will be maintained. Bassett’s emergency department will still care for patients with mental health issues; plans are underway to transition crisis center services from the hospital to a mobile crisis program. Patients currently in Bassett’s inpatient psychiatry unit will remain until they are ready for discharge. Patients needing longer-term services will be transferred to another psychiatric in Binghamton, Schenectady or Utica. Approval of the formal closure plan is expected from the state in 1 to 2 weeks.

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New York’s asthma-related Medicaid expenditures rose more than 26% in the last 5 years, as the state’s overall annual asthma bill topped $1.3 billion for medical costs and lost productivity, according to a report released Friday by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. 1.7 million people in New York suffer from asthma, according to estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New York’s $55 billion Medicaid program enrolls approximately one in four New York State residents, including 559,000 diagnosed with asthma, and spent $532 million on asthma care in 2013.

Governor Cuomo and legislative leaders have reached a deal on a $140 billion budget that provides some tax relief for businesses, homeowners and renters. Lawmakers are expected to vote Monday. The 332-page revenue bill lists property and renter’s tax credits through so-called circuit breakers, tax credits for families and revisions in bank, corporate, manufacturers and estate taxes.

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Oneonta Police & the State Department of Health Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement, arrested 45 year old Janice Vaugh-Young of Oxford for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance. The charges stemmed from an investigation into the theft of narcotics from a health care facility. Vaugh-Young was arraigned in the City of Oneonta Court and released on her own recognizance to appear at a later date.

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Motorists are advised that there will be rolling slowdowns on Interstate 81 and State Route 17 throughout the Prospect Mountain construction work zone as crews perform paint striping on Monday, March 31, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. This work will require moving lane closures. It is weather dependent.

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The Women’s Fund of the Community Foundation for South Central New York announced that they are accepting grant proposals for between $1,000 to $6,000 from qualified organizations in Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego and Tioga counties. Funding is available for projects or programs that use innovative and/or collaborative approaches to create positive change and that demonstrate the potential to improve the well-being of women or girls, details are available at donorswhocare.org or at 772-6773, the deadline to file is Friday, June 14th.

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The Southern Tier Parents against the Common Core are holding a presentation on March 31st. The event will take place from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Vestal Library; concerned parents are encouraged to attend.